How did this happen again?
by HeavenHellanime
Summary: 2 Espada are found on the doorstep of Seireitei, and are taken into custody. But with one of them cursed... How will the Seireitei deal with 2 mad scientists? And how will Byakuya deal with it as he's being put on babysitting duty 24/7 with a stubborn Black-haired...kid?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey peoplezz! So I was in a good mood, and my muse wouldn't stop nagging me about this story… So I kinda just started on it ****…**

**I'll try to upload Chapters soon after each other, but I'm not saying that'll happen, okay? I could take longer because of schoolwork and stuff… Just sayin'. **

**This is my second fic, so I'm not a pro. Please bear with me when I make silly mistakes in spelling or grammar, alright?**

**R&R if you like.**

**Oh and I almost forgot: I don't own bleach or any of it's super-most-amazing characters of all time. There would be different pairings if I did… but enough if this, let's just read the story now.**

_How did this happen again?_ Byakuya thought, walking down the streets of Seireitei, a small toddler on his arm. The little boy holding onto his scarf and glaring at everyone who walked past, keeping people even further away from him than usual.

Now why, do you ask, did he get in such a situation? Here's the story:

***Flashback***

'_It seems as if we have a problem.' Ukitake stated calmly, looking at the figures in front of him. One of them was fairly known within the Seireitei, the other figure seemed to be unconscious, and was much smaller. _

_The seemingly older Espada grimaced at the four Captains in front of him, clutching his side, blood seeping through a large cut. His pink hair was stained with blood, and a part of his glasses-like hollow mask was cracked. He held on tightly to the smaller individual, looking down as the kid coughed._

'_ugh…' he moaned, and opened bright green eyes. The tear marks on his cheeks seemed to shine, and there was no hollow mask to see, though he had a wound on the side of his head, oozing blood. _

_The pink-haired Espada – Szayelaporro Granz – coughed up blood as he tried to speak. 'There was an accident… I…can't have the cuatro die like this…*cough cough* I know… You hate and despise us for all we are, but please… ' _

_He finally lost the strength to stand, and fell to his knees, still holding on to the other Arrancar. 'You have to help him, he's not… an Arrancar anymore…There are even chances he doesn't remember…UGH!'_

_He fell down as a dark figure knocked him down from behind. 'Well, Aizen said we can't have ya spill all tha beans now. I can't let ya live.' His attempt to kill the other on the spot was stopped by Captain Kyōraku. _

'_Get them to the fourth division. They still deserve a chance, seeing they were desperate enough to ask _our _help.' He said. The others just nodded, and Captain Ukitake lifted the Pink-haired Espada while Byakuya unusually carefully lifted the small child, checking for a pulse._

'_Go now!' Captain Hitsugaya said. 'Captain Kyōraku and I will take care of _him_.' Byakuya would have snapped at him for his disrespect if it weren't for the obvious fact that the child in his arms needed medical attention. So he Flash-stepped after Captain Ukitake._

***Slight time skip* (still a flashback)**

_Once the two Arrancar were placed in the custody of the Fourth division's Captain, who seemed slightly surprised, The two men were called for a urgent meeting. _

'_After a long discussion, I have decided that the Arrancar shall not be executed as long as they pose no open thread to the Seireitei. They will be placed under custody and be looked after for suspicious behaviour at all times by a Captain.'_

_Byakuya nodded slightly, he could agree to these terms, but hoped he wouldn't be picked for duty. The head Captain continued about several causalities, before saying: 'Szayelaporro Granz will be placed in custody of Captain Kurotsuchi and the 12__th__ division, seeing as he is a scientist within Aizen's ranks. ' _

_Kurotsuchi grinned at that, probably looking forward to either experiment with, or on the Espada. But what came next made several other Captains including Byakuya gasp for air, holding in laughter, or in Byakuya's case, a mortified yell._

'_The ex-Arrancar will be Captain Kuchiki's responsibility.'_

***End Flashback***

…and that's how it happened. Byakuya decided to return to his house (read: huge mansion) for now. He'd just picked up the child from Captain Unohana's private rooms, where she took care of the Arrancars as not to disturb the rest of her squad.

He was not happy in the least. Why did the head Captain choose him of all Captains? He was the – dare he say it - least qualified to take care of a kid, let alone an ex-Arrancar.

Said ex-Arrancar was mad about something, and though he tried, he didn't succeed in hiding it. _The other Arrancar called him cuatro, he must have been a high-ranking officer. But why a kid? _His mind wandered to the youngest Captain.

The prodigy made it into the Captains ranks sooner than he did. It made Byakuya kind of jealous. But not too much, as he kept on his stoic mask at all time. Fooling even himself.

Once they reached the mansion, Byakuya stood in the hallway, a little unsure of what to do next. Luckily, the answer was solved for him:

'Now release me, trash.' Byakuya blinked, once, twice, before wondering who dared to have such disrespect towards him.

…Then he realised it came from the little ex-Arrancar, still sitting on his hip, legs on either side of Byakuya, trying- and failing- to get free of the sudden death grip he was being held in.

Byakuya's evil aura surrounded him, and he felt a chill travel down his spine. Byakuya glared at him, scarier than any glare Aizen had ever thrown at him or one of his fellow Espada.

'Let me get one thing straight, child.' Byakuya started, his voice void of emotion, though the threat was clearly present, 'You will be staying with my because of orders. This does not mean I enjoy your company, nor does it mean you have the right not. to. be. respectful. You understand?'

The ex-Arrancar nodded. A habit from being used to follow orders. Feeling a weird sensation in his chest, that made him feel uneasy. _What is this? I've never experienced such phenomenon before…_

Byakuya brought the child to the dining room, dropping him near a cushion, and sitting on the other side of the table himself, eying the food.

He looked up at the kid, who hadn't moved from his spot on the floor. _Don't tell me he doesn't know how to eat like this? _'Sit.' He gestured to the cushion. 'You are a guest, eat all you want.'

The boy eyed the food warily. He usually "ate" the souls of lesser hollows, not this. Still, his stomach disagreed, and he felt a hunger familiar to him. Reluctantly, he said down at the table, before slowly picking the chopsticks.

_What did lord Aizen always say before he ate? _He pondered, then the word found its way to his lips. 'I…Itadakimasu.' He muttered, before breaking the chopsticks apart and picking some food on his plate.

_Good, at least he has _some _manners. _Byakuya thought. Being raised in a noble family gave him trouble watching the boy and not correcting the mistakes in his manners. _Maybe he's not used to it. He was an Arrancar._

The rest of the meal was quiet, and a little uncomfortable. 'Gochisosama deshita.' The boy said, after he had finished, feeling satisfied and having less trouble dealing with the still unknown feeling in his chest and stomach area.

Byakuya repeated after his guest, then couldn't help but to ask: 'I would like to know your name, since you will be living under my roof. Surely you must have one.'

Okay, it wasn't really a question but Byakuya still felt unsure as how to deal with this possible threat, though the child did not look like that at all.

'Ulquiorra.' The child stated. 'My name is Ulquiorra Schiffer.'

**So… That's it for now. I dunno if there's going to be UlqixBya in the future, so for now it's gonna be father-son… unless you like to see it differently or something, that's ok too.**

**OMG I can totally imagine Ulquiorra being all cute and cuddly with Byakuya! (sorry, I just had to)**

**See you at the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

After their meal, Byakuya ordered one of the servants to prepare the room. Ulquiorra wanted to ask what he meant, as he – for Kami knows what reason – was rather curious.

'Follow me, please.' Byakuya said while turning to walk out of the room. Ulquiorra shuffled after him, still not used to the sensation of being so short.

*Thump* It didn't take more than five steps before Ulquiorra found himself nearly kissing the floor. Byakuya turned around at the doorstep, one eyebrow raised in question, but when he saw the little ex-Arrancar laying flat on the Tatami surface, he had to fight not to let amusement show on his features.

He walked back to the child-looking Ulquiorra, who had real tears forming in his eyes. He lifted the child and as on instinct, wiped away the tears.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow, reaching for his face to find the wet substance located there. He then proceeded to analyze the situation. _Why in the world is there liquid pouring out of my eyes? _He thought in frustration, not knowing the answer made him even more frustrated, and he clenched his small fist.

He knew he'd been changed into a younger version of himself, the 8th Espada had told him after he woke up from the crash into the Seireitei, earning him the gash in his side. He hated it how he knew he was powerless, losing all his value to lord Aizen.

He sighted, and his eyes widened as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. _Sorrow, sadness. That's also a kind of feeling humans have. _The human girl's words echoed in his mind.

Her name has escaped him, but he secretly _enjoyed _their conversations, he now realised. He felt even more water pour out of his eyes, and let out an uncontrollable sob.

_Are these the side-effects of the curse? _He absently wondered, he'd have to ask the 8th Espada later… where was he again?

Byakuya looked down on the boy with confusion written all over his face for a few seconds before he regained his composure, nothing but a glimpse of worry in his eyes.

He knelt down by the child, feeling that Ulquiorra didn't want any sympathy from him. So he just picked him up bridal style and carried the crying boy to his bedroom, he room he told the servant to prepare for two people.

He didn't trust the child enough to leave him in a room by himself. One of the futons was positioned against the wall, the other near the door.

Byakuya placed the child on the futon against the wall, but froze as a small fist held his arm, preventing him from backing away. Byakuya just sat there until Ulquiorra fell asleep, said ex-Arrancar never once bothering to stop his sobbing or let go, as the other man gave him a nice feeling, _Feels warm…and safe.._. He though absently before drifting off.

***Time Skip***

Three days had passed since the incident, which Ulquiorra immediately named an unnatural phenomenon, and he planned to ask Szayelaporro –or in short, Szayel – about it after he got rid of the nuisance following him.

It surprised him that the Shinigami Captain had been either following him or dragging him along himself. Never giving him time alone.

Ulquiorra thought it was annoying, but he felt the opposite, it made him feel strangely secure being close, as much as he would deny it. Which he always would.

In fact, Byakuya felt worried for the kid. Being Byakuya, he denied doing so as well. He was scared_. The child –Ulquiorra, I mean – would cry again, what would he do if I wasn't there for him? _

The two spend most of their time either quiet or arguing. Today's argument: Ulquiorra's clothes.

'I'm not wearing this, Kuchiki.'

'Rukia went all the way to the human world to get you these. Put them on.'

The clothes Ulquiorra was presented with, were blue jeans with black sneakers and a T-shirt. The t-shirt was the problem here: Rukia had drawn Chappy the Rabbit on it with textile paint.

'It looks for a four year old. I am an Espada, I will not wear such _thing._' Ulquiorra continued.

Byakuya gave an irritated sigh, lately, the child had become more resistant to his glare (read: now was unaffected by his more-than-deadly glaring).

So now, Byakuya was walking through the Seireitei with Ulquiorra close behind him, his arguments and yells becoming more childish by the second.

'But Kuchiki, I don't wanna! Why don't you wear it instead? Kuchiki? Kuchiki. Kuchiki. Kuchiki. KUCHIKI-SAN I DON'T WANNA! '

His yelling started to attract the attention from some Shinigami, holding in their laughter as they saw the ex-Arrancar tugging their Captain's Haori.

An anime mark appeared on Byakuya's forehead… and a second… and a third. _Enough._

Without a word, he turned around, picked Ulquiorra by the back of his Chappy the Rabbit shirt and heaved him on his back with one hand. (Like Ichigo sometimes carries his schoolbag)

Tuning out the now furious screams from the child on his back, and ignoring the kicks and hits he was receiving without inflicting any damage, he continued Flash-stepping towards the first Division.

_He actually used an honorific in his complaining. _He mused, while walking through the doors, inside the Captain's meeting room. Receiving some strange looks.

He glanced to one of the people staring. _Szayelaporro Granz. _He noted. After he was allowed to leave the 4th division, Captain Kurotsuchi found him too interesting to experiment on.

Rumours said that the two mad scientists got along well, though often arguing as of whom to use for a new experiment.

Ulquiorra had now ceased fire, and hung on Byakuya's back, arms crossed and _pouting._

Szayel saw this as a cause for worry, he didn't know the full effects of the curse, but for the cuatro to actually make a facial expression…

He hesitantly walked up to the two, and with a short nod from Byakuya, said Shinigami put the child on the floor.

Szayel snickered softly once he noticed the shirt his superior was wearing. Then his face quickly became serious and he knelt before the younger ex-Arrancar.

'Erm…quarto?' He asked carefully, not wanting to annoy the seemingly irritated child. 'What do you want now, trash.' Came the cool, emotionless response.

*pat pat* 'What did I say about respecting others? I was not just talking about myself when emphasizing that point.' Szayel looked up dumbfounded, to see the 6th Divisions Captain, Kuchiki, pat his former superiors' head.

He was even more surprised when he noticed something in Ulquiorra's eyes shift, and the next moment, said ex-Arrancar was pouting like a child his age would do.

_I'll need to investigate this. _He thought, before standing up, facing Byakuya. 'Did he show this kind of childish behaviour before? It isn't something I ever saw the quarto do. It could beside effects of the curse placed on him…'

The room fell dead silent. *sigh* 'Granz-_san._' Ulquiorra almost spat the honorific, mocking Szayel instead of paying respect, 'You shouldn't have done that.'

_They despise us enough as it is. _He thought, thinking back on what happened.

_*_**Flashback***

_The two of them ran as fast as their legs could carry them, looks of horror on their faces. Aizen had send them on a mission to a place no-one really wanted to be: They were to investigate the Gate to Hell. _

_The HUGE monster behind them let out an ear-deafening shriek, following after them – and catching up to them. The two didn't look back to see what it looked like, it would be their death if they did._

_They ran across yet another bridge, and this time, one of them slowed his pace._

'_Quatro, what are you doing?' Szayel asked panting, he was on his last legs. The fear the only thing keeping him standing. Ulquiorra looked him dead in the eye, no emotion or fear showed, just exhaustion. 'Leave, trash. I won't run. That creature won't cease either. I either hold it back here and fight it head-on or die running.' He was panting heavily in between the sentences. Ulquiorra turned around as Szayel muttered under his breath: 'Fool. You won't live through this.' He then ran again, leaving Ulquiorra behind to face his opponent…_

**So sorry for the cliffhanger everyone! (Just kidding, I'm not that sorry at all) But you can expect the last chapter to take a little longer, I've got a little writer's block.**

**Ulquiorra acted a bit OOC (I know) but that will be explained later, promised. I've decided that there will be a bit shounen-ai between our dear (mad) scientists, but I'm not sure how much, I'm not good at keeping Mayuri in character. Ichigo, Rukia, Renji etc. will also join the fun, if not just a little, in future chaps.**

**That's it for now. This is HeavenHellanime signing off to battle the homework.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I have returned! Hello everyone! *waves***

**I finished this sooner than I expected, but that doesn't matter much, ne~? I apologize beforehand for not writing lots of Byakuya & Ulquiorra interaction in this Chap. I am ashamed…. ;_; **

…**But it's necessary for the plot, so there isn't much I can do about it.**

**Anyway, without further ado, here's the third chapter of "How did this happen again?":**

_Ulquiorra turned around as Szayel muttered under his breath: 'Fool. You won't live through this.' He then ran again, leaving Ulquiorra behind to face his opponent…_

***Still a flashback* (sorry guys, it's gotta happen.)**

_The creature could be described as one thing, and one thing only. He would be Yumichika's worst nightmare. But of course, Ulquiorra was not aware of this as he studied his opponent._

_It was enormous, easily bigger than the large 10__th__ Espada. Its arms looked like giant armoured gauntlets, with a leathery skin covering a bare, muscular chest. Its head was attached to it's body, without a neck. It's mouth was red, but shaped like a hollow's looked. It's tongue was longer than the monster itself, and stood on… fire? _

_Ulquiorra blinked, it seemed as if its tongue was more dangerous than it's claws, but that wasn't the problem; The fact that he could see no weakness was. He lifted his blade, aiming for the creature._

_The creature paused, and, to Ulquiorra's shock, started talking: '__**You puny youngling, you dared to trespass…**__' It hissed, baring its fangs, '__**I will let you live, for I am not allowed to kill an Arrancar… But your act will not go unpunished.**__' It's claw reached for Ulquiorra, faster than the other could even raise his blade to defend, and held him in a death lock. Ulquiorra's eyes widened, as a sharp pain jolted through his body like electricity. He held the urge to scream in pain. The evil creature started to speak in an unknown language, _an incarnation? _Ulquiorra noted, through the haze of pain. __**'…htger tssi dlaets, ecnecon niwon kgnieb si httel!**__' _

_And Ulquiorra screamed in agony. Soon passing out from the pain_

***End flashback***

'…What do you mean, cursed?' Byakuya asked sternly, his eyes never wandering from the pink-haired scientist.

'aahh, yes, so this is what you meant.' Kurotsuchi popped up from behind Szayel, closely investigating the fidgeting Ulquiorra.

Byakuya however, noted the slight discomfort the child was showing and spoke up to ease the heavy silence that still hung in the room. 'We are at a meeting, Captain Kurotsuchi. Keep yourself under control.'

Said scientist glared at Byakuya, before pulling away from the ex-Arrancars' personal space.

The meeting went without any problems from then, they mainly discussed the recent events, then about the training of the new squad members, payments, and the special case: Aizen.

They kept their known information at a minimum, seeing as there were two of Aizen's henchmen in the same room, though powerless and under strict watch.

Ulquiorra felt himself doze off while the Head Captain ranted on and on about the medical payments for the 4th division. Szayel noticed and quickly wrote something in a notebook he picked from what seemed the air.

Byakuya noticed as well, but couldn't request to leave the meeting early, so he softly patted on Ulquiorra's shoulder, as to not disturb the others. 'Try to hang on a little longer.' He whispered to the child.

Ulquiorra blinked when the meeting was over and he was promptly picked up and places on Byakuya's hip by said man. He felt himself getting sleepy, and tried to stay awake, keeping his green eyes wide open.

That was until Byakuya sighted, sounding slightly irritated. Ulquiorra blinked when he heard the other mutter under his breath, then he felt himself being rocked slightly, making him feel even more tired than before.

It didn't take long before he dosed off, safely tucked into the Shinigami Captain's arms. Byakuya's face showed the faintest glimpse of a smile as his eyes softened, looking at the innocent looking cuatro Espada.

Then the spell was broken and Byakuya's face looked disinterested again. _I hope nobody saw that. _He thought as he made sure the child wouldn't fall off before flash-stepping back to his division, not feeling in the mood to converse with his fellow Captains.

But somebody DID in fact notice the adorable father-son moment, and smiled knowingly at the person next to her.

'Well isn't this an interesting development.' Ukitake smiled back at Unohana. She nodded, 'Maybe this is what he needs to break down the walls surrounding him.'

***Meanwhile, in Urahara's shop***

'What do you mean, Espada are staying in the Seireitei?!' Ichigo exclaimed, his glare becoming ten times worse than it was when he was suddenly called by the shady shop keeper.

'This is definitely unheard of.' Rukia said, her eyes still wide in shock. Renji nodded, not able to speak. All he knew was that there had been a small intrusion, but Espada?

'The old man has finally lost it! I'm going there and handle this myself!' Ichigo yelled, pointing at the ceiling.

It didn't take 2 seconds before he was on the ground clutching his head after Rukia knocked him down to earth.

'The Head Captain must have a valid reason. What I want to know is which Espada it are, where they are staying and with whom, and why they came to the Seireitei in the first place.' She said while sitting down again.

Urahara smirked and pulled out his paper fan. He waved it in thought before saying: 'from what I've heard, we're talking about a pink-haired scientist and a black-haired Espada with tear marks on his face.'

Ichigo's gaze darkened when Urahara mentioned the later, 'Ulquiorra.' He spat. Urahara nodded. 'the other one, the eight Espada, Szayel I believe… He's staying in division twelve under supervision of Mayuri Kurotsuchi.'

The other occupants of the room paled a few shades. 'Great, TWO mad scientists…' Renji mumbled. It was the first thing he'd said since he'd received the news.

'But wait, what about the other Espada? Ui-Ulqu-' 'Ulquiorra.' Ichigo finished for Rukia. 'Yes, him.'

Urahara thought for a minute. 'He's staying with the 6th division's captain, Byakuya Kuchiki.'

The reaction was pretty much the same as they would've had if they heard Hell just froze over. Ichigo's jaw hit the floor, Rukia fell backwards in shock, and Renji just stared, too stupefied to comprehend it.

'WHAT?!' the tree of them exclaimed. 'I've_ got_ to see that.' Renji said, and Ichigo nodded, glaring. 'I still have to beat that guy for what he did.'

'Calm down, the both of you.' Rukia said once she sat straight again. 'Though I agree we must see how my brother reacted to that.'

Urahara smirked, an unexplainable look in his eyes. _Sure thing. _He thought and opened a gate to the Seireitei right below them.

'You're going to pay for this Uraharaaaaaaa!' Ichigo yelled as the tree of them suddenly found themselves flying above the 6th Division.

***Back to Byakuya***

His eyes widened in horror as he recognised the voice the sudden yell belonged to. _Kurosaki… is in the Seireitei? But why- He must've heard about the Espada._

He held Ulquiorra closer to him subconsciously. 'What is it?' the cuatro Espada asked. Then his eyes widened: _That Reiatsu…_

'The trash is here?' He said out loud, looking up. His eyes closed slightly against the bright sunlight he wasn't quite used to yet.

He saw Ichigo, and his gaze fell on Byakuya. The man was frozen, with an unreadable expression on his face. Ulquiorra, being used to such faces, could notice the anger in those eyes.

'Did Kurosaki hurt you before?' He asked through clenched teeth. Ulquiorra nodded. 'He tried to kill me.'

'The feeling is mutual, then.' Byakuya growled. He hated Kurosaki, even if just a little. _And if the substitute dared to hurt my… wait what? Since when did I think of the Arrancar as "mine"?_

The two of them had gotten close without even realising it themselves. 'Brother! What are you doing?' He heard Rukia exclaim. He looked up, only to see Ichigo pulling out his Zanpakuto.

'I'm going to kill you, Ulquiorra!' He yelled while charging for the Shinigami captain and ex-Arrancar…

**That's it for now folks! I had a little trouble with the scene at Urahara's, so I hope it didn't turn out too badly.**

**See you at the next chapter! And remember kids: Don't do drugs, anime is cheaper. ;-) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here I am yet again! Kami, I had as much homework as division eleven has paperwork! –wait, scratch that, the eleventh probably doesn't **_**do**_** any paperwork, since I doubt Kenpachi and Yachiru… **

**Never mind, I'm ranting. I've been a little busy, and I will be in the future, so I warn you: Next chap may take longer.**

**Now, without further ado, here's chapter 4:**

Byakuya didn't hesitate and unsheathed Senbonzakura. Their swords clashed and sparks from the impact flew around.

Ulquiorra chose to close his eyes. _I feel so weak and useless. _He thought to himself, hating the fact that his safety depended on another person than himself.

'Why are you protecting that monster Byakuya?!' Ichigo yelled. Ulquiorra opened his eyes wide again. He'd heard from Kuchiki himself that the man hated being called by his first name unless that person was very close to him.

_Are Kuchiki and the trash close? _He asked himself, but his theory was immediately thrown in the trashcan in the following 5 seconds.

'You have no right to say such thing, the child is harmless.' Ichigo's eyes widened as he only now noticed how tiny the Quatro Espada seemed – no scratch that, was!

'Why is he so little?' he asked, baffled by this new information. Ulquiorra felt a vein pop on his forehead, he seemed to have less control over his emotions than before. _I wonder why that is… _'Shut up, trash.'

_Oops. _It escaped his mouth out of instinct, the usual reaction he would give to an enemy when they insulted him. But this time was different.

Byakuya glared at Ulquiorra, who cringed a little at the intense stare. 'Idiotic, unworthy substitute or not, you are still treating your elders with respect.' The man said.

Ulquiorra wanted to keep his mouth shut, he really did, but his next words surprised himself as much as it did everyone else.

'But Kuchiki-san! I'm waaaaaay older than Ichi-kun!' _Did I really just… _Ulquiorra quickly covered his mouth with his hand, but the damage had been done.

Ichigo's jaw dropped to the floor, _did the kid - no, Ulquiorra,, the feared Quatro Espada, just give him a nickname?! _

Byakuya wasn't any better off, though he contained his emotion better than Ichigo had done. _–san? He used a honorific AND gave Kurosaki a nickname? Why don't I get a nickname…! _H was even more confused as he realised what his train of thoughts was pointing to.

He shrugged it off as he looked at the horrified Espada. Who desperately wished he was anywhere but where he was now.

'…the hell is happening here?' he was roughly cut from his thoughts as he spotted Szayel, who took in the scene with interest, especially Ichigo and Byakuya, who still hadn't put away their Zanpakuto. And the horrified Quatro.

Ulquiorra quickly composed himself. 'None of your business, Szachi-ku…SZAYEL.' He corrected himself. No way he was going to give his subordinate a nickname too!

The 8th Espada, however, caught the slip-up. Is eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face, 'Sorry, what was that?'

A glare from the boy's direction shut him up. Byakuya was staring intently at the child on his hip. _Why is he running around giving everyone nicknames?_

Then the truth hit him like a ton of bricks: The curse didn't affect just the Espada's body, but his mind as well!

Szayel had seemingly gotten to the same conclusion. 'You're having withdrawal symptoms, don't worry, it's normal.' The 8th Espada said.

_What are you blabbering about, Szachi-kun! Calling trash by nicknames is NOT normal at all, you Baka! _Everyone stared at him. _Oh no, don't tell me…_

'D…did I just say th… that out aloud? And did I just stutter?' Ulquiorra asked, too confused to form full sentences. What was wrong with him? He felt increasingly frustrated.

Byakuya notices this and sprung in. 'It would be for the best if we all got some sleep.' He focused his gaze on Ulquiorra, 'ALL of us.'

Meanwhile, Rukia and Renji were having the hardest time coming up with words to say, they were simply speechless about the same thing:

_When did Byakuya/Captain become so protective/caring?_

Secretly, they didn't want to think about it, they would only get migraine if they tried. Szayel nodded, understanding the two completely when he saw their reaction.

'Kuchiki-sama is right.' He said, deciding to be as polite as possible towards the stoic Captain. 'We should get some rest and speak about this later.'

It didn't take long for everyone – except Ulquiorra – to agree, and Ichigo and Rukia returned to Karakura town, while Renji returned to the squad 6 barracks.

Szayel looked at Ulquiorra. 'Erm, Quatro?' He asked carefully, still unsure of his superior's power level in his current state.

Ulquiorra glared at him. 'What is it?' he asked. Szayel cleared his throat, suddenly aware of he presence of the man still holding Ulquiorra. _Strange…Ulquiorra doesn't seem to mind at all…_

'Captain Kurotsuchi and I would like to pinpoint the cause for your… situation. Tomorrow afternoon after the Captains' meeting. If that is ok with you of course, Kuchiki-sama.' He hastily added.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. 'I agree, we will meet at the 12th Division tomorrow at the designated time.' No further words were needed. And Szayel left.

'You know… You won't get much respect and trust from others if you act like that.' Byakuya said after a short silence. Ulquiorra sighted and crossed his arms.

They had gotten close, there was no denying that. The both of them had tried to start actual conversations with each other, but it never took long before they became serious and quiet again.

'I could say the same for you, though.' He said with an emotionless voice. 'You only get respect because of your power in your position as a captain and member of a noble family.'

A ghost of a smile crossed Byakuya's face. 'You got all your respect from your position as well, did you not?'

_Touché. _Ulquiorra sighed again. 'Can we go back now?' He asked, since he was feeling quite hungry, and what could he say? The food from the Kuchiki's chef was to his tastes.

As on cue, his stomach let out a loud noise to agree with his thoughts. A soft pink tint covered the Quatro Espada's face.

Anybody who would have been within hearing range would have stopped with whatever they were doing to listen to what they heard: a laugh echoed of the walls of the Seireitei.

That wasn't the weird thing here, though, it was who the laugh belonged to. Byakuya covered his face and coughed to hold on to the last bit of nobility he had right now.

He'd never, NEVER laughed out loud like that since Hisana passed away, and did he feel good. Though he covered up his emotional slip by flash-stepping towards the Kuchiki mansion.

He hadn't succeeded in covering his laughing completely, though, and each time he snickered, Ulquiorra's already red cheeks would become a darker shade of red.

By the time they reached the mansion, Ulquiorra's face was redder than Renji's hair, if that was even possible.

_I've never been humiliated this much in my entire afterlife. _Ulquiorra hought, feeling deeply ashamed at his stomach. This had never occurred before, and he was at loss for what to do. So he just let Byakuya take him along.

Byakuya had his own mental rant about his actions. _I laughed at him. I laughed OUT LOUD, in his face, for Kami's sake! Why didn't I compose myself or something? I always do that!_

The silence they dined in was very awkward. The both of them felt horrible.

But when Ulquiorra was laying on his futon, Byakuya turned around at the doorstep, whispering softly: 'Sorry for what I did earlier, I was wrong in doing that.'

Oh, and how that **hurt **his already damaged pride.

**I don't think this is my best chapter… Ulquiorra is still OOC, and now Byakuya laughed!**

**Did you guys like the nicknames? I though it would be cute since Ulquiorra is a kid and all. He'll call them by their nicknames more often, but if you have better ones, don't hesitate to tell, okay? (does any of you have a nice nickname for Byakuya?)**

**This is it for now, but I want to thank yowai mikomi-chan and Chiruka for their wonderful reviews!**

**Ulquiorra: 'How long is this going to take?'**

**Erm, yeah… **

***sees him charge a cero***

**I'm done. Bye guys! *runs off screaming***


	5. Chapter 5

**Really, homework and staircases will be the death of me. Now I found out I didn't put a disclaimer in the former Chapters…oops.**

**So here we go: I don't own bleach.**

**Renji: 'See, now that wasn't so hard now, was it?'**

**Me: But…I forgot…**

**Ichigo: 'Yeah right, you're just mad that you don't own bleach.'**

**Me: *sobs***

**Byakuya: 'You made the author of this story cry.'**

**Ichigo: 'No shit, Sherlock. To make this worse, she just recovered from a so-called writers' block.'**

**Ulquiorra: 'That is irrelevant, she could have updated sooner if she wasn't so much like Starrk.'**

**Me: *gets mad* 'I'll tell you what…' *starts blabbering about letting Aizen pwn them* '…and I wrote this story, so I can do whatever the Hell I want!'**

**Byakuya: 'Just start the chapter.'**

**Me: *swallows* '…fine.'**

The rest of the night and the following morning were peaceful, or as peaceful as it could get with Renji back in the Division.

The "withdrawal" symptoms, as Szayel had put it, were noticeably less now Ulquiorra got some sleep.

This of course, was brought up at the Captains' meeting, by none other than the Head Captain himself.

'It pleases me to see how the Arrancar are adjusting.' He said, then his gaze fell on the softly quarrelling scientists, who were discussing a new formula and if it should be included in their next experiment.

'Szayelaporro Granz.' Once he got all attention, he continued: 'during the previous meeting, you mentioned a curse. Explain.'

Now Szayel wasn't stupid, he wasn't a scientist for nothing. But he didn't want to tell the Head Captain, even though he knew that he was given an order, not a question.

'Why do you not answer?' Kurotsuchi asked after a short, uncomfortable silence. Szayel nervously swallowed, _I don't want to offend them…_

'I am not the right person to ask, Head Captain-sama.' He said clear enough for everyone to hear.

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow, and so did Byakuya. Ulquiorra merely narrowed his eyes, seeing where this was going.

'How so?' The Head Captain asked in suspicion. Before Szayel could react, however, Ulquiorra spoke:

'Seeing as I am the one cursed, I can relate as to why the eighth Espada won't answer to your question, for it applies to me rather than him.' He stated coolly.

Byakuya noticed the child tense slightly, as if preparing himself to answer a question he didn't want to answer. He sighted, and lifted the child to sit on his hip once more.

_I can only hope this makes him more willing to speak, or at least makes this more comfortable…Still, why do I worry about this Arrancar so much?_

Renji, who stood behind Byakuya, coughed. 'Head Captain, if you would allow me…' 'Can you answer the question?'

'…no, Head Captain.'

'Then you may not.'

Ulquiorra listened to the short conversation about him. Now tucked into Byakuya's arms, he felt… safer. _Maybe I can try and answer the Shinigami after all._

'Let us get back to the subject. Ulquiorra Schiffer, tell us, what is this "curse" about?'

He swallowed nervously, blaming his curse for everything that happened and coming up with an entire string of words to describe it, some of which would even make a sailor blush.

'It's quite simple, really.' He muttered. Yamamoto raised his brows, 'If it is, then would you please enlighten us?'

Before he could try and hide behind Byakuya from the older man's tone, Byakuya whispered softly, so no-one could hear.

'Just say it, it won't matter… I'll try to prevent you from getting hurt for now.' Somehow, those words gave Ulquiorra the last push into confessing:

'the Octava and I were on a mission. In Hell. We encountered a guard… and…' Ulquiorra sighted, he hated admitting defeat, and how bad he was at formulating a simple sentence! _I'm the Quatro Espada, for Kami's sake!_

'He proved to strong for me to defeat. He did not kill me, he wasn't allowed to kill Arrancar for some reason, but he cursed me, turning me into… **this.**'

Everyone had fallen dead silent, and not just because they heard Aizen had sent his own men to Hell. Ulquiorra hadn't realised the amount of venom he used in his voice, almost spitting out each word he said.

Byakuya cleared his throat, 'I have a suspicion that this is enough for today.' Luckily for him, the other Captains agreed quickly, and he took his leave, bringing Ulquiorra with him.

Byakuya looked down upon Ulquiorra, whose face had become expressionless once more. 'I did not realise you disapproved of your current… predicament this much, my apologies for not noticing your discomfort.' He began, but was cut off by Ulquiorra.

'It doesn't matter.'

Byakuya's lip twitched upwards almost unnoticeable, as he contemplated his options. _Or I could just give it to him straight…_

'Then I supposed asking Captain Kurotsuchi to find a cure for your condition is unnecessary.' He smirked mentally, though he kept his outward features unmoving.

Ulquiorra's head snapped up. 'There's a cure?' he asked cautiously. Byakuya nodded. 'I suppose there is one for every illness…' _except Hisana's… _He quickly shook the thought from his mind. _Now's not the time._

Byakuya was about to close the door leading to Ulquiorra's bedroom, when the ex-Arrancar asked him something he did not expect: 'Why do you "tuck me in" each night?'

He blinked, once, twice. _Sure he did not just ask what I think he asked. _'excuse me?'

Ulquiorra sat up. 'I used to do the same with that Woman, and she always said she appreciated it… but what is its purpose?'

Byakuya almost sweatdropped. 'Well… it's usually something a… parent or lover does to their child or lover, as to wish them a good night and… good…dreams?' He wasn't so sure about it himself, actually, having no experience with it and all.

Unfortunately for him, the Quatro Espada's interest was peeked, and he wasn't about to drop the subject. 'Why would they wish someone good dreams if they can't be sure?'

_You've got to be kidding me. _

After a conversation *cough* interrogation *cough* that lasted about twenty minutes, Byakuya went to bed himself, wondering.

_When did I start to care about him so much - like Hisana, but different. Like he's my own child or something… or, maybe…_

He quickly shook his head. An Espada couldn't. no way in Seireitei. He sighted and brought his hand to his head.

His last thought before he fell into the warm darkness of sleep was:

'_I should just ask Kurotsuchi and Szayel tomorrow… Am I getting too attached to them?_'

**Me: Finally! Took me long enough. It's a little short, but it just felt natural to cut it off here, tee~hee**

**Renji: 'You sounded like Yachiru.'**

**Byakuya: *shudders***

**Me: *looks behind Renji* Kami. no. why?**

**Ulquiorra: *raises eyebrow* 'Who is that?'**

**Byakuya & Renji: *turn around slowly***

**Yachiru: 'Ya-hoo! Who are you? You're new! Yachiru thinks you are cute!'**

**Me: "thinks: She's got a good taste" *realises* Owww…. Damn.**

**Byakuya: 'is it dignified if I run now?'**

**Me & Renji: *nod* 'yep, good luck.'**

**Byakuya: *grabs Ulquiorra's hand and runs off with Yachiru on his heels***

**Renji: *stares* 'should we help?'**

**Me: 'Nah, he'll be safe in the next chapter.'**


End file.
